From a poetry match held during the reign of the Tenryraku Emperor.[i]
あしひきの山がくれなるさくら花ちりのこれりと風にしらるな
asiFiki no yamagakure naru sakurabana tirinokoreri to kaze ni siraru na
Within the leg-wearing Mountains concealed, O, cherry blossom, That you linger and not scatter, I would not have the wind discover!
Shōni no myōbu 少弐命婦
[i] The poetry match in question is Dairi uta’awase – Tentoku yo-nen (‘Palace Poetry Match – Tentoku 4’; 960), held by Emperor Murakami 村上 (924-967; r. 946-967). The poem in the match is slightly different.
Composed on seeing an aged pine on the rocky shore while on the road to a place called Misaki.[i]
いその松いくひささにか成りぬらんいたく木高き風のおとかな
iso no matsu ikuhisasa ni ka narinuran itaku kodakaki kaze no oto kana
The pine tree on the rocky shore Has for how many eternities Endured? The tree, so very high, as is The sound of the wind!
695
[i] Misaki 三崎 lies on the Miura Peninsula 三浦半島 on the far eastern side of Sagami Bay. Sanetomo is known to have visited Misaki in the Third Month, Kenryaku 2 [April 1212] and this poem was probably composed then.
yukusue no chitose o komete harugasumi tatsuta no yama ni matsukaze zo fuku
The future for A thousand years contained within The haze of spring: On the mount of Tatsuta The wind blows through the pines![i]
661
[i] See: Topic unknown. ゆかむ人こん人しのべ春がすみたつたの山のはつさくら花 yukamu hito / kon hito shinobi / harugasumi / tatsuta no yama no / hatsu sakurabana ‘Folk who go / And those who come, secretly do dwell upon / The haze of spring / Over Mount Tatsuta’s / First flowering cherry blossoms.’ Middle Counsellor Yakamochi (Shinkokinshū I: 85)
